Some operating systems, such as the LINUX operating system, utilize a two-stage boot process. During the first stage an initial random access memory (“RAM”) disk is mounted. The initial RAM disk, which is sometimes referred to as the “initrd,” is a temporary root file system that is mounted during system boot to support the two-stage boot process.
The initial RAM disk contains drivers, executable components, and other support files that permit a real file system to be mounted. During the second boot stage, a real root file system is mounted, the initial RAM disk is unmounted, and the real root file system is utilized for booting. In some embedded systems, the initial RAM disk is utilized as the real root file system.
The initial RAM disk frequently includes a number of optional components, many of which are not utilized at runtime. For instance, some initial RAM disk implementations include language support files, such as fonts and localization text strings, for many languages even though only a single language is typically utilized at runtime. The loading of an initial RAM disk that includes these optional components can cause a computer system to boot slower than it would if the optional components were not present.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein is presented.